438 JANE STEPHENS: ATLANTIC SPONGES 



Several large sponges are in the collection, which agree exactly with this species 

 as described by Kirkpatrick (ll) from specimens obtained in the same locality and 

 at the same depth as those dredged by the Scotia. Three more or less complete 

 specimens and numerous fragments were obtained. The more complete are in the 

 form of cup-shaped, or irregular, nodular masses, while some of the pieces have 

 evidently been cut from large specimens. The largest piece in the collection is a 

 nodular mass, 15 '5 cm. in length. 



All the specimens are crowded throughout with substances foreign to the sponge, 

 chiefly fragments of nullipore and shells. 



The colour in spirit is black at the surface ; it is paler in the interior of the 

 sponge. 



The distribution of this sponge, as given by Kirkpatrick (ll), is as follows: 

 oft' Algiers ; off Porto Santo Island, 60 fathoms ; Grand Canary, at low tide ; off 

 Jamestown, St Helena, 30 fathoms. 



Sub-order HALICHONDRINA. 



Family Axinellid^e. 



Hymeniacidon caruncula Bowerbank. 



Station 479. False Bay, shore. 6th May 1904. One specimen. 



Station 482. Houtjes Bay, Saldanha Bay, shore. 19th May 1904. One 

 specimen. — Reit's Bay, Saldanha Bay, shore. 21st May 1904. Fragments. 



Several specimens of this widely distributed species were obtained. They differ 

 somewhat in external appearance, but not more so than do specimens of the species 

 collected along our own shores, which vary from thin encrustations with even 

 surface to large cushion-shaped masses with papillose surface and large, finger- 

 like outgrowths. 



The most complete of the South African specimens is more or less oval in outline, 

 with a strongly convex upper surface. It is about 12 cm. in length, with a thickness 

 of 3 cm. Numerous small oscula, about 1-1 '5 mm. in diameter, are slightly raised 

 above the general surface. A second specimen is a flat sponge, 10 mm. thick, with 

 oscula up to 4 mm. in diameter raised a little above the surface. The specimens 

 from Reit's Bay are fragmentary. They have a papillose surface, with large, finger- 

 like outgrowths, on the summit of which are the large oscula. The styli vary 

 considerably in length in each individual, but do not show much variation in size 

 from one specimen to another. They are 0*15-0'37 mm. or 0'43 mm. in length by 

 0'005-0'0l mm. They are thus very slightly thicker than are the styli of European 

 specimens of the species, which apparently seldom exceed 0'008 mm. in diameter. 

 They are, however, almost identical in size with the styli of a specimen collected off 



